No, PTO is not a four-letter word, or a reason to run away as fast as you can. It is an organization that tries its best to support students and teachers, and make your school a better one.
There were a lot of posts at the beginning of the school year that upset me a little. Yes, the fundraising letter from the Texas school was funny. Yes, PTOs do run a lot of fundraisers, and you might prefer just to write a check, and that is fine.
But before you run away from the next (nice) person trying to recruit you for the PTO, understand what we do.
- Come to a meeting, and see what events we are planning that your children will love.
- Look at our budget and see where the money we raise goes.
- Talk to your children's teachers, and see what they think about the PTO.
- Volunteer for just one hour, and see how you feel.
I know I only speak for the PTO I have been involved with at my son's preschool and elementary school, but I imagine most PTOs are similar. They are women and men who value their children's education, and want to make sure that every child has the option to go on a field trip, or enjoy a special event at school. PTOs also do a lot to support the teachers and staff, who often work (really) long hours and for not much pay, doing a job that most of us wouldn't do for a million bucks (20+ kids, all with different needs, for 7 hours a day? I have a headache just thinking about it!).
Here are just a few things the PTO does at my son's school:
- Provide a lunch every other month for teachers and staff, and have parent volunteers in the lunchroom to monitor their classes so they can enjoy the lunch in the break room;
- Give teachers a special something on their birthdays;
- Organize an entire week's worth of special treats for Staff Appreciation Week in the spring;
- Help pay for field trips for kids who could not afford to go otherwise;
- Organize school dances, a variety show and a bingo night;
- Help the librarian during the annual book fair;
- Organize and distribute books for a book swap so every kid gets a new-to-them book to take home (and keep forever) over Winter Break;
- Organize and staff a Santa Store, where kids can purchase small gifts for family members;
- Help pay for school improvements, such as a security system, sound system for the auditorium, and playground equipment;
- Organize school cleanup days;
- Take pictures and lay out the yearbook;
- And more!
Yes, fundraisers can be painful. If you prefer to write us a check, we will take it gladly. But understand that not every family can write a check for $25, $50 or $100. Some families cannot afford to write a big check, but can go door to door in their neighborhood and take orders.
Fundraisers can be a great teaching tool for your child as well. I coach my son before he goes around, reminding him to speak clearly, look the adult in the eye, thank them (whether they purchase anything or not), and smile. He gets practice in interacting with adults and public speaking, and he feels pride when we gets enough orders to receive a prize. I know the prizes aren't worth much, but they mean so much to him because he earned them.
And I do understand why you look like a deer in the headlights when I ask for volunteers, I really do. We, as parents, have so much going on that adding one more thing to the list might actually cause us to collapse. Or that's what we tell ourselves. But the reality is, if you don't volunteer for the book fair, then someone else has to fill that time slot. If you don't respond to the email asking for desserts for the teacher's luncheon, then someone else has to make that dessert. And when it is the same parents, over and over again, those parents get burnt out. Then no one wins.
So all I ask is, be open. Consider volunteering, if you can, even if it is just for one hour for one event. Be willing to send in some food for a teacher lunch, or cut out Box Tops and Campbell's Soup Labels to send in, if you work and cannot physically be at the school. Or volunteer to help with something that occurs in the evening.
Burned out on excessive activities at your school in which you're expected to participate? Come to a PTO meeting and (nicely) ask about it. You might find out that your school PTO is trying to raise money for something really great, like new computers or tablets for the classrooms, or new playground equipment, or science equipment, or new musical instruments. Instead of sitting back and criticizing, get involved and you might be surprised that you are now the one defending the cookie dough fundraiser!
Or, you might find out that the PTO is open to suggestions (such as the funny anti-fundraiser letter). If that will work at your school, then fantastic! It cuts out the middleman, takes less time and effort for both the school and the parents, and the school still gets the benefits. But you won't know until you go.
Your PTO (probably) needs your help. Even if you can only give an hour, we will take it. Don't run away from us. Understand that our schedules are full, too, but we have carved out a little time to help the school. See if you can find a way to carve out some time, too.
